


Smoke & Mirrors

by Lv1Zaku



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Amnesia, Drama, Fantasy, Isekai, M/M, RPG, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-08-22 13:43:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16598963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lv1Zaku/pseuds/Lv1Zaku
Summary: Ash Lynx awakens in a world he has never seen before, lying beside a mysterious boy and a giant sword. Robbed of all his memories, and thrust into a land where he must fight for survival, Ash soon finds himself deeply involved in the mystery of the world as he searches for his identity. Who is he, and how did he get here? What lies waiting for him at the end of this world? What should he protect--and how far is he willing to go to protect it?A fantasy AU inspired by Grimgar of Ash and Illusion, Sword Art Online, Log Horizon, etc.





	1. Light & Fire

               The first thing Ash Lynx knew was that his head hurt.

               _Holy shit._ His fingers slid into his hair, pushing at his skull, palms covering his eyes and blocking out the light, darkness soothing. _What happened? What was I doing?_ He was lying on something hard, maybe the ground, but he couldn't feel any other wounds. He had half-expected to hear the sound of shouting, or maybe...maybe...what? _What?_ What was the name of that thing he always heard? Always heard... _where?_ Where was there? _Where is here?_

               As slowly as he could, Ash rolled onto his back and sat up, the absence of noise somehow disturbing, to find himself splayed out in the middle of a lush forest clearing, surrounded by green, leafy trees; soft birdsong reached his ears, golden sunlight beaming down from above. A few feet away sat a little pond that fed into a brook, gently trickling water disappearing somewhere into the forest. _Where the hell am I?_ Nothing looked even remotely familiar, but even in just the few seconds he had spent sitting there, cringing from the headache, he already knew that he knew nothing—no matter how hard he tried, his brain was frustratingly blank, as though he had just been born, nothing but a name to call his own.

               _This doesn't make any sense._ Gingerly, he stood, testing his limbs, staring down at his clothes, but nothing was broken or even scratched, jacket and jeans completely untouched, muscles all in working order. _Am I not from here? If that's true, where am I from? Did I always not have any memories?_ Maybe he really _had_ just been born, but there was a nagging feeling somewhere at the back of his mind that that wasn't true, though it was useless to try and guess the reason why. _Wish my head would stop hurting, though._ Right now that was the foremost thing on his mind, and, laying eyes once more on the pond, Ash thought that maybe splashing some cool water onto his face might help a little, turning to cross the clearing.

               He hadn't even taken one step before his foot caught on something lying on the ground, and he went sprawling forward into the grass, throwing his arms out just in time to avoid smashing his face in. Scrambling to his feet again in alarm, he spun around, eyes landing on what was there at his feet. _What the—_

               Lying curled in the grass, a bunch of purple wildflowers growing near his head, was a black-haired boy, eyes closed as though in sleep; the grass waving in the breeze all around him was so tall Ash hadn't even seen him at first, and as he looked closer, he realized that lying beside the boy was a long, black object that could only be a sword, the surface so polished that he could just about see his face in it, made of some material he had never seen before.

               "Hey!" Without stopping to think, Ash had knelt down, ignoring the sword for now to shake the boy's shoulder. "You alive? Can you hear me?" Stirring, the boy's eyes opened a crack, and he squinted in the light as he blinked up at Ash, wincing the next instant as his hands came up to his head. "What..." "You too, huh." Ash sighed; his own headache was subsiding now, and he reached out a hand, helping the boy to his feet. He stood there unsteadily, looking around in confusion, rubbing his eyes, and though he had been in literally the same situation not ten minutes ago, Ash almost felt pity now that he could see it from an outside point of view. "You okay? Do you remember anything?"

               "I..." The boy stopped abruptly, a perplexed look crossing his face, before meeting Ash's gaze. "My name is Eiji. Eiji Okumura." He had an accent, though Ash didn't know which one it was anymore, and he nodded. "Eiji. Okay. I'm Ash." "Ash." Eiji said his name as though testing out the sound of it. "Where are we?" "No idea. Thought you might know something about that," said Ash, but Eiji shook his head sadly. "Sorry. I don't...know anything." He cradled his head in his hands. "My head hurts."

               "Yeah, I woke up like that too." Ash frowned. "But it looks like we're okay. We're not...hurt, or sick, or anything, I think." "Really?" Eiji looked relieved. "Good. But—" He had noticed the sword, pointing to it in shock. "What's that?!" "Looks like a sword to me." Ash shrugged. "I thought it was yours, since you were lying next to it and everything." Eiji shook his head so hard that for a second Ash wondered if it wouldn't make it hurt worse, raising his hands. "No, it's not mine! I don't remember this." "You sure?" Ash raised his eyebrows, folding his arms over his chest. _Hmm._

               "I don't understand." Eiji looked from Ash to the sword to the trees, though his expression was less worried and more amazed, wide-eyed, like a child. "How did we come here? Is this a real sword?" He bent down, reaching for the handle, but as he lifted it back up, arms straining, Ash was surprised to see him struggle with it, fighting just to hold it off the ground; the shining blade reflected the sunlight, dazzling. "It's...heavy," grunted Eiji, and Ash blinked in disbelief. "No way. Let me try." He came forward, and Eiji handed the sword over without complaint.

               Ash stumbled in surprise as he picked up the sword out of Eiji's hand so easily it was like he had broken a twig off of one of the trees instead, the blade light as air, and Eiji stepped back, astonished, gaping openmouthed. "What?! How did you do that?" "I...don't know." Ash stared at the sword, tightening his grip as he looked it over, intrigued. It looked to be about three feet long, the hilt long enough for him to hold it with both hands if he wanted, but the sword itself was so flat he was impressed it hadn't already broken, the blade as wide as his hand if he stretched his fingers out, just a little thicker than maybe the soles of his shoes. With his free hand he knocked on it, wondering what sound it made, but it barely made any sound at all, the faintest response.

               _Why can I hold it but Eiji can't?_ Ash looked at Eiji again, hoping for some kind of answer, but Eiji just smiled. His smile was big, and genuine, and it calmed Ash somehow more than he knew, feeling like all of the anxiety that had built up just over the last few minutes had all disappeared for a moment. _Well...I guess if he can smile like that, we're probably okay._ "How's your head? You feel okay?" asked Ash, and Eiji nodded, twisting his upper body experimentally. "I feel better. My head is okay now. But I...there's nothing...in my head." His face fell. "Just dark. And empty." _When you say it like that, it's scary..._

               "I don't know what happened to us, but there has to be some clue or something somewhere," said Ash, sounding much more confident than he felt. "Maybe not here, but somewhere else. Let's walk around a little." "Okay." Nodding in agreement, Eiji came up closer, and Ash led the way through the clearing, sword in hand, leaving the sunlight behind as they stepped into the forest.

               It was instantly much cooler, and much darker, treetops far away; the scenery around them was painted in muted green, fallen branches scattered here and there, thick trunks blocking their way. There was a narrow trail that led through them, and they walked along it for a while, leaves and sticks crunching under their feet. _Hope this goes somewhere._ He felt fine for now, but Ash wasn't exactly looking forward to thinking about how they were going to eat, or sleep, or do just about anything now that they had no idea where they were, or even _who_ they were, apart from their names. _It really is weird. I wonder—_

               "Ash."

               Ash slammed to a stop as Eiji's fingers clenched into the back of his jacket, and he froze, senses on high alert, as a low growling sound reached his ears from somewhere up ahead. "There. See it, behind that tree?" Eiji's voice was only a whisper now, but the hand digging into Ash's jacket pulled slightly to the left, guiding him to wherever Eiji was looking. As he peered through the shadows, Ash saw that, indeed, there was something behind the tree there—and as it inched slowly forward, he felt his insides shrink back at what he saw.

               Emerging from the underbrush was some kind of dog— _wolf?_ —easily almost four feet tall, with eerily glowing red eyes, dark brown fur sticking up in tufts along its face and neck, long pointed ears flat against its head as it bared its teeth, crouching down. Ash could see the muscles in its legs, tail curved, and as it drew closer he felt his arms turn to ice as he realized the fur around its mouth was streaked with red. _Fuck._ His fingers around the hilt of the sword were going numb from how hard he was holding it, willing himself to keep standing, barely even breathing. _What do we do? Should we run for it? Do I stand a chance against it with this?_

               But as Ash held the sword aloft, the blade stretching out in front of him, he felt his heart drop like a rock into his stomach as a grating, echoing bark rang out in the trees, fur and teeth disappearing into a blur as the animal pounced, flying straight at them.

               With almost all of his strength, Ash flung his free arm out to push Eiji back to the side as he swung forward with his sword arm, just barely managing to deflect the teeth that he knew could rip him apart, metal squealing and sending vibrations up through his shoulder; both hands curled around the hilt as the red eyes bored straight through him, sending chills through every part of his body. _Shit. I don't know if I can do this._ The wolf's growls were so powerful he could feel them in his chest, barking deafening, but he made himself keep swinging, blade bouncing off of fangs the size of his fingers, foul hot breath washing over him and making his stomach turn. It was taking all he had just to not get bitten, sweat already sticking to his face, but he couldn't back off, unable to even see where Eiji was.

               _Come on, doggie._ The wolf was circling him now, those eyes haunting, and as it jumped for him again Ash flung himself underneath it, thrusting the blade upwards as hard as he could into its stomach; a satisfying yelp met his ears, hot blood pouring out onto the ground and over his hands, staining the sleeves of his jacket. As the wolf jerked away from him he sprang back onto his feet, pulling back to land another hit only to find that there was nothing in front of him, blood-spattered grass all he could see. _Huh? Where's—_

               "ASH!"

               Ash felt his senses disappear as the world faded out into a screeching, shrieking white; he felt himself drop to his knees, his bones rattling inside his body, overwhelming heat exploding somewhere in front of him. He could feel the wind, hot, blowing his hair back, and he threw his arms up to shield his face, feeling splinters and bits of leaves pelting him, sword growing loose in his grip. For what felt like minutes, the forest was gone, but as it came back, little by little, slowly Ash came out of his protective crouch, blinking in the haze that had settled over the ground, misty white smoke drifting in the air.

               Eiji was standing there behind him with his arms outstretched, breathing hard, his hair disheveled; the wolf was nowhere to be found, but in its place was a crater so large Ash was sure an entire tree could have fit all the way across from top to bottom. The white smoke was floating up from the center, and Ash crawled nervously to the crater's edge to look down inside, unable to see even a trace of the battle, the blood on his sleeves the only proof.

               _Are you kidding me?_ Shakily, Ash got back to his feet, sword hanging limply in his grasp as he turned to face Eiji in disbelief, heart still pounding from the encounter, his sleeves uncomfortably wet. "Eiji..." Eiji blinked, as though just now realizing what had happened, and slowly he let his arms drop, staring at the crater with wide eyes. "Did...was that...did you..." Ash couldn't find the words to form a full sentence, stumbling over them, and Eiji's gaze turned towards him before it moved down to his own hands, looking at them as though he had never seen them before. "I...don't know." His voice was very small. "I just...the wolf was behind you. And I thought, 'protect him!'...and then, this..."

               "Wait. Hang on a second." Ash closed the distance between himself and Eiji, shaking his head. "If—and I mean _if_ —you were the one who made that huge hole, maybe you can do other stuff, too. We don't know anything about where we are, or what we can do...maybe stuff's possible here that we couldn't do before." "What do you mean?" asked Eiji, brow knitting in confusion, and Ash held up the sword, still not really able to believe it was as light as it felt. "Like...you could barely pick this up, but to me it's nothing. And I don't think I can go around blasting holes in stuff the way you can. Maybe we have...I dunno, some kind of power or something that no one else has." "You think so?" Eiji stared back down at his hands, slowly holding one out, palm upwards. "Like—this?"

               Ash jumped backwards in some kind of instinctive alarm as a flickering ball of flame ignited in Eiji's hand, glowing in the darkness, a perfect sphere; Eiji looked just as surprised as Ash felt, his jaw dropping in shock. "What?!" "See! I knew it!" Ash couldn't stop the smile from breaking out on his face, wild excitement gripping him at the prospect. "Try something else." "O-okay..." Eiji bit his lip in concentration and the fire fizzled out, replaced the next second with crackling electricity, miniature lightning bolts zapping between his fingers. _Whoa..._

               The battle forgotten for now, Ash and Eiji spent the next twenty minutes experimenting with what Eiji could conjure up in his open palm, seeing how large he could grow the fire, how far he could fling the lightning bolts (Ash had been forced to drop down to the ground to avoid being shocked a few times). At the end of their testing, Eiji had been able to produce fire, lightning, howling wind, and barrages of freezing-cold ice that had reduced some of the surrounding trees to splinters, though if he kept it to his hand he could make snow fall, gentle flakes settling down into the grass beneath their feet.

               "This is crazy." Ash ran a hand through his hair, overwhelmed, and Eiji just smiled at him sheepishly, embarrassed. "Okay, we should get going. If we don't make it out of this forest by the time it gets dark, who knows what else is gonna come after us," said Ash, resting the flat of his blade against his shoulder, and Eiji nodded. "Okay." _Not like I know where I'm going..._ Taking the lead once more, Ash circled carefully around the crater to continue on down the trail they had been following earlier, Eiji following along behind, gaze moving quietly from tree to tree, lost in thought.

               After what Ash thought had been close to an hour, the trees began to grow sparser, light brighter, and once the trail opened up into empty space they emerged from the forest onto a wide, grassy hill; the wind was strong here, whipping at their hair and clothes, and Ash zipped up his jacket, suddenly cold. It was late afternoon, judging from the position of the sun, and from where they stood, they could see down into a little valley filled with lush green grass, a cluster of houses and larger buildings that could have been shops sitting at its bottom. "Wow..." Eiji held his hand up to his eyes to shield them from the sun, squinting down into the valley. "Where is this?" "No idea." Ash shrugged, but he couldn't say he wasn't impressed, either, the grass so green it didn't seem real.

               "Let's go there, Ash." Eiji pointed to the houses, a pleading look on his face. "We need food and a sleeping place. And maybe people are there." "That's true." Ash nodded, unable to do anything but agree. "Okay, let's go. I'm sure someone will know more about what happened to us." "Yes!" Eiji looked pleased, and they started off down the hill, careful not to misstep or slip, making their way through the grass.

               _Finally, somewhere we can talk to someone._ Though they couldn't have been awake for more than a few hours, it had already felt like days, so many new things to process that Ash couldn't shake the exhaustion that weighed down on him, heavy. _I'm glad it wasn't just me alone or maybe I would have gone crazy. Or been killed by that wolf._ He thought back to the fight, trying not to remember the red eyes. _I can't believe how strong Eiji is. Compared to him, all I can do is wave this thing around..._ The weight of the sword on his shoulder was almost nothing, but he felt useless, lucky to have not gotten hurt. _If something happens, we need to be able to protect each other. The way he protected me._ His face felt a little warm—they had just met each other, but to him, Eiji felt so pure somehow, someone he couldn't help wanting to stay close to.

               It didn't take long to descend the hill, the valley not so far away, and before they knew it, Ash and Eiji found themselves standing at the entrance to what looked like a little village, tumbledown houses with roofs made of straw, something that could have been a farm silo the tallest building, sitting at the outskirts. A simple archway made of wood welcomed them, faded letters carved into a sign that hung from the top, but much to his surprise, Ash found that he couldn't read it, the markings unfamiliar to him. "You know what that says?" he asked of Eiji, pointing to it, but Eiji shook his head, an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry."

               _I hope the people here understand us..._ "Well, let's go," said Ash, and Eiji nodded slowly, sticking close behind as Ash set foot into the village, passing under the archway. The street was made of a rough, white stone, and he felt it under his shoes as they walked, gaze darting from building to building, looking for signs of life. There looked to be some people walking between the houses a ways away, and Ash felt himself relax; even if they didn't speak the same language, at least knowing there were other people here was comforting.

               "Can I help you boys?" asked a voice from behind them, and Ash turned around in surprise to find a heavyset, middle-aged man in dirty overalls standing there, slight concern in his gaze. "You—you understand us?" asked Ash, pointing to himself, and the man raised an eyebrow. "You hit your head or something? You don't look all that foreign to me." "Well...we might have," admitted Ash, and Eiji nodded in agreement beside him. "We woke up in the forest up there on the hill, and we...I guess we don't really remember anything? We were hoping someone here could help us."

               At this, the man's expression changed to one of sympathy. "You're Lost Children, right?" "Lost Children?" "That's what we call kids who show up in the forest there," said the man, pointing to the hill they could still see from where they stood. "They're all like you—can't remember a thing, don't know who they are or where they came from. They pass through every once in a while. A couple of 'em left just a few days ago." _There's other people like us?_ Ash was astonished. _It's not like I can remember, but maybe we know them._

               "Is it okay if we stay here for a while?" asked Eiji, and the man smiled kindly, gesturing to the building behind him. "This is my inn. If you're Lost Children, I'm sure you don't have money, but if you're willing to do a little labor, I'll let you stay." "Really?" Eiji looked delighted, and Ash inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "That's reasonable. What do we have to do?" "I've been needing some painting done," explained the man, already leading the way towards the inn. "If you boys could do that for me, I'd be grateful."

               After some explanation, they swapped stories; the man's name was Rolan, and he was the sole proprietor of the village's only inn, which he had run for the last twenty years. He had taken it upon himself to help the Lost Children that tended to find the village, though there had been stories of those who never made it out of the forest, victims of the beasts that lived there, or stuck wandering for days without ever finding the exit. Ash could only be glad he had woken up in the same place as Eiji, sure that the only reason they hadn't been attacked anymore was because of his fearsome powers.

               Rolan set them to work painting the back fence that surrounded a little vegetable patch, carrots and peppers growing in neat rows in the soil, garden tools and watering cans tucked neatly in a corner out of the way. Ash's sword was lying on his bed in their room, and he had given his bloodstained jacket to Rolan to have washed, instead wearing a denim jacket that was far too large for him, rolling the sleeves up all the way to his elbow to keep them from getting covered in paint. They had been given stools to sit on as they worked, and at last Ash could sit down, taking a moment just to breathe before he started.

               "Are you okay?" Eiji was looking over in concern, paintbrush in hand. "Maybe you should rest." "Nah, I'm fine." Ash shook his head, almost guilty that Eiji was worrying. "What about you? You used all of that crazy power in the forest...you're not tired or anything?" "A little, but I'm okay." Eiji nodded thoughtfully. "I'm a little hungry. I hope we can eat dinner soon." "We can probably eat once we finish this," said Ash, leaning down to pick up his own paintbrush, and for a while they worked in silence, the feeling of the brush on the wood somehow therapeutic.

               _It sounds like 'Lost Children' are people who aren't supposed to be here,_ thought Ash, going back to what they had talked to Rolan about just before. _He said it's always kids with no memories, who he had never seen before. No one could read anything, and they didn't know how things worked. If that's true for everyone, then...is this like a different world?_ The paint was so white it was starting to hurt his eyes. _Why are we here? Is there something we have to do? Is there a way to 'go back'? I don't even know what came before this._ He almost wanted to feel sad, but with no memories to reflect on, he couldn't really feel much of anything, he thought; it was like Eiji had said before—there was nothing in his head except the dark emptiness, and he wasn't sure he liked it.

               "Hey, Ash." Eiji had paused, brush hovering in front of the fence. "Do you think we met before?" "Huh?" Ash looked up, startled. "What makes you say that?" "I don't know." Eiji wasn't looking directly at him, his expression troubled. "When I look at you, I feel...warm. And safe. I know it sounds strange." He didn't seem embarrassed at all to say it so plainly, but Ash felt his face burn a little, unsure how to react. "And...I feel like I saw your face before. Somewhere...but I don't know where." At last he looked up, meeting Ash's gaze. "That's why I thought maybe we met before."

               _Eiji..._ "Well...I don't know." It was like his mind was trapped inside a box, running into walls whenever he tried to reach outside. "Maybe. Since we can't remember anything, it's possible, I guess. We _did_ wake up in the same place, so maybe we were together wherever we were before." "Right." Eiji nodded. "I wonder...where _before_ is." _Yeah..._ "Me too."

               They painted in silence for a while, the sun disappearing as the day passed by, and by now Ash's stomach was empty, hunger clawing at him, but Rolan hadn't come back out to tell them food was ready. "Eiji, let's take a break," said Ash, after it had felt like hours since they had last spoken, working and working, as though a spare moment that let them think about their situation would break them. He stood, legs stiff and aching, but as Ash turned to look at Eiji, he realized in shock that Eiji's eyes were closing, his body swaying on the stool as he fell backwards, brush falling from his grasp.

               "Eiji!" Ash caught him just before he hit the ground, one knee scraping into the dirt; Eiji was heavy in his arms, but even through his clothes Ash could feel how hot his skin was, burning. " _Eiji!_ Are you okay? What happened?!" The door to the inn banged open, Rolan rushing out, but all Ash could see was Eiji, panic rising as his eyes refused to open. _Don't you dare leave me here alone, Eiji._ Though they had just met hours ago, and they knew next to nothing about one another, or even themselves, Ash already knew that he didn't want to be apart. In this world, wherever it was, he would be fire—he would burn it all, and Eiji was the light, illuminating the future they would walk in, side by side.


	2. Sword & Sorcery

               "Your name's Ash?"

               Ash looked up from where he sat anxiously beside Eiji's bed, barely able to see him in the dark, the only light spilling in from the hall; Rolan brought a lit lantern in, setting it gently onto the bedside table. "I'm sure you're worried about him, but it'll do you no good to just sit there. He'll get better soon." "What happened to him?" asked Ash, chest tight with nerves, watching as the candlelight flickered. Shadows danced over the blanket that covered Eiji, rising and falling with his labored breath, the sound somehow so loud in Ash's ears it was like the roaring of some beast, maybe one that lived up in the forest, watching him with red eyes.

               "Figures you wouldn't know, being Lost Children and all." Rolan sighed, motioning to Ash to follow him out into the inn lobby, but he stoutly refused, fingers grasping at the overturned bucket that served as his chair—it had been the first thing he had grabbed on the way back to the room. Rolan shook his head, giving in, and he took a seat on the opposite bed, Ash swiveling to face him, though he made sure he could still see Eiji out of the corner of his eye. Though he doubted Rolan would do anything to harm them, he couldn't help being protective, instinctively in guard dog mode.

               "You came in holding that sword, right?" Rolan nodded down towards where it lay beside him, and Ash nodded slowly, unsure where this was going; he didn't particularly see how the sword was related to Eiji's predicament, folding his arms over his chest. "Just the fact that you can pick it up and use it means that's your Affinity—what this world decided you're most suited for. Everyone here's born with some kind, though not all make use of it." Rolan reached over to grab the sword by the hilt, but, to Ash's amazement, he fought just to hold it, much the way Eiji had in the forest. _I thought Eiji just didn't have strong arms..._ Rolan's arms were bulky with muscle from what Ash assumed were years of gardening and manual labor, but try as he might he couldn't so much as raise the sword into the air, letting it drop back down onto the mattress.

               "So...my 'Affinity' is to use a sword?" asked Ash, still a bit skeptical, and Rolan nodded. "If we're going by the terms they use here, you're a Warrior. There aren't so many of them around this place, since most Warriors usually go off to the capital to go become the king's men." "Okay...so what does this have to do with anything?" asked Ash, eyes narrowing, and Rolan looked over to where Eiji lay. "If what you said before is right, and that boy blew a hole in the ground the size of the moon, chances are he's a Mage—a real powerful one. Mages are the only ones in this world who can use magic, and they're mighty rare. Folk say being born a Mage are one in almost one hundred million."

               _One hundred million?_ Ash turned to look at Eiji once more, astonished; he had known Eiji was someone special, but not quite like this—had he not known Eiji's personality, he might even be a little afraid of him. "But magic's not infinite. It all has to come from somewhere...the ground, the air, the water. If there's no place to take it from, it comes from inside." Rolan tapped a finger against his chest, right above his heart, and Ash felt his blood run cold. _Does that mean..._ "No, no, not like that." Rolan shook his head, expression sympathetic, eyes soft. "I've never met one, but they say a Mage always knows his limits. He won't die, and his life shouldn't be affected. He'll just sleep a day or two."

               "But isn't this all just...I dunno, legends or folktales or something?" Ash rose, suddenly irritated, though he didn't know at what; his skin prickled. "If no one's ever met a Mage, how would they know what's what?" "It _is_ a legend," admitted Rolan, also rising, hands on his knees, "but all legends were once something true." He crossed the room, pausing at the door. "I won't force you, but if you get hungry, come on out and say so. I'll fix some for him too, once he wakes." The door swung shut with a creak, but Rolan left it just slightly ajar, faint orange light peeking through.

               _So you're a Mage, and I'm a Warrior._ Ash stared down at the blankets, watching the way the candlelight swayed over them. _Guess that makes sense. Can't really picture magicians swinging swords._ He felt a little smile pull at his lips as he thought back to the way Eiji had tried to lift the sword in the forest, entire body straining. _But then again, I can't imagine shooting fire or lightning or whatever the way you do, either. It still doesn't feel like that was something I really saw._ He let his face sink into his palms, but even in the blackness he could almost see it in front of him, ice whirling through the trees, wind sending his hair swirling.

               _Who are we, Eiji? What are we supposed to do here?_ He didn't know how to pass the time, the thought of moving from Eiji's bedside almost painful, but the longer Ash sat there brooding the hungrier he felt himself growing, until the sound of his stomach growling was so loud in the silence he was embarrassed at himself. Remembering Rolan's offer, hesitantly Ash rose to his feet, giving the bed one last look before trudging out into the hall, leaving the door open just enough for him to be able to see inside.

               Rolan's inn was tiny, only two other rooms apart from their own, with the wide lobby and kitchen area right in the center of all of them. The hall was dark without the lantern, but there was light coming from the kitchen, and Ash squinted through the shadows, keeping his hand on the wall as he made his way down. He hadn't even noticed that night had fallen, daylight long gone. _How long was I sitting in there? It felt like only an hour at most..._

               Ash emerged into the kitchen to find Rolan standing in front of a lively, roaring fire that had been lit in the fireplace, a copper pot of something hanging over the flames, and he blinked in the sudden glare, seating himself at one of the benches that sat there. "How is he?" asked Rolan, voice a bit quieter than it had been before, and Ash shook his head. "Still sleeping. But...we're right here. If anything happens, we'll know." He gave the hall a glance. "Um...if it's okay..."

               "Say no more." A basket filled with ceramic bowls of all sizes, some worn away, some with chips around the rim, sat up on the mantel, and Rolan reached up to grab one, ladling whatever was in the pot into it. Ash watched silently, almost impressed at how small the bowl looked in Rolan's giant hands, like the utensils were just dolls' accessories. _He really is huge..._ Steam drifted up into the air from the pot, and a mouth-wateringly savory smell tickled Ash's nose as Rolan pushed the bowl across the tabletop towards Ash, a crudely formed silver spoon following a second later. "It's not much, but it'll keep you full."

               Inside the bowl was a thick, creamy white soup full of potatoes and peas, and without a second thought Ash dug in, wincing from the heat, barely stopping to breathe; he hadn't realized just how hungry he was, as though all of that day's events had hit him at once, and he held the bowl up to his face, scooping the rest of the soup into his mouth and holding the now-empty bowl out once more, looking away in shame. "If it's okay..." But Rolan just gave an understanding smile, dishing out refills without complaint until Ash was at last full, sighing in relief. A mug had appeared on the table beside him, and he took a sip—some kind of red, fruity drink, one that smelled strongly of berries, met his tongue.

               "Must've been hungry." Rolan took the bowl and spoon away, and Ash felt his face heat up in embarrassment, but he couldn't deny it, suddenly overwhelmingly sleepy now that he wasn't starving anymore. "Once your friend wakes up he'll be hungry as a lion, so I better make more while I'm at it." Rolan was speaking more to himself than to Ash, but he turned his back, hovering over a smaller table where Ash saw vegetables and a thick wooden chopping board laid out.

               "Hey..." Ash leaned his arms onto the table, sinking down a bit as he watched Rolan's shadow moving on the opposite wall, slicing up carrots. "Why do you help the Lost Children, anyway? Do any of them ever come back here?" "Not a single one." Rolan sounded cheerful enough, though Ash couldn't see his face. "But getting something back's not what I'm after. Don't need thanks, or gifts...just knowing they're a little better off because of me's enough." _It is?_ "I don't _have_ to help you all, of course. I could've let you walk on through here, not knowing what's ahead...but it'd bother me. Most folk here, they stay away from the Lost Children. Easy to spot most times, since your clothes or hair are different. You really are children here, having no memories and all...I can't just let children go out into the world alone."

               _You're way too nice._ "So what _is_ out past here? First of all, where even is here?" asked Ash, as Rolan tipped the carrots into a new copper pot, reaching now for onions. "Seralia." It was a word as foreign as anything else he had seen so far. "That's the name of this world. No one knows what it means, or even if it has a meaning—that's just how it is." _Seralia._ "This town's Dendion. We're a little farming community, but the hunters have an outpost here for the game in the forest." A little ceramic mortar and pestle sat beside Rolan's workspace, and he sprinkled some green herb inside, grinding it as he spoke. "Past here's the main road that goes out to Strolheim. That's this region's largest town, and likely where you'll find your calling—at least, more likely than here."

               _Dendion and Strolheim._ Ash memorized the names, pacified for now, but Rolan kept speaking, and Ash figured it was the usual talk he gave all the Lost Children, having gone through it a thousand times. "This country's not a very big one, but we're home to the capital city, Dardania. They say if you follow any of the main roads far enough, you'll end up there eventually. Never met anyone who's tried it, but you're welcome to." The herbs went into the pot as well, followed by milk poured from a glass jug. "Dardania's where the king has his castle, and where most Warriors usually go for work."

               "Do you have an Affinity too?" asked Ash, suddenly curious, and Rolan nodded, mixing his soup together. "Haven't used it the way it's meant in more than twenty years, but I'm an Axeman. Now all it's good for is cutting firewood, though." He indicated the pile stacked on the floor with an amused twinkle in his eye. "Didn't mention it before since I didn't want to scare you, but Affinities aren't just everyday skills. They're for the way you fight—it decides that, and only that. Especially in your case." Rolan gave him a look of what could have been pity. "Warriors with nothing to fight against might as well not have an Affinity at all."

               _So that's why they all go work for the king._ Ash nodded. _If the world chose you to swing a sword, might as well go somewhere where you can._ "Then...what about Eiji?" he asked, and at this Rolan shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you, Ash. Meeting a Mage is rare enough. If there's something out there that needs powers like his..." His expression darkened. "What I do know for sure, though—when you leave here, it's best not to tell people your friend's a Mage. There's a lot of superstitions and bad rumors that follow them, and if you want to keep him safe, the less people know, the better. Especially in Strolheim—people'll think it's the end times."

               Ash fell silent for a time then, slowly drinking the red tea and watching the fire crackle in the fireplace, Rolan busying himself preparing the second round of soup. _I guess whenever Eiji's better, we should try to go to a bigger town and talk to people. But...really, I don't know what I want to do. Should we be trying to work and get money? Should we ask about other Lost Children and find out who they are? Or maybe all of that's useless, and all we need to figure out is how to get back to where we were before this._ It frustrated him; he hated not knowing what was happening, more clueless, if that were possible, than he had been upon waking in the forest. _Might as well wait until Eiji's awake and ask him what he thinks._

               He had meant to sit there a while longer and rest, finally feeling his limbs start to drag, but Ash's gaze snapped up towards his and Eiji's room the next second, confused, some sinister creeping feeling brushing against the back of his mind. _What was that?_ "Shh." Rolan had frozen in place, ladle in hand, his eyes locked on Ash's. "Quiet. Don't make a sound." His voice was so low Ash could barely hear it, but he obeyed, sitting still as stone, his heart in his throat. The feeling at the back of his mind was growing steadily stronger and stronger until alarm bells were ringing in his head, cold sweat starting on his arms, his back. _What? What's happening?_

               A sudden distant crash split the silence, and Rolan was in motion, heading for the back door. "Ash, go get your sword," he called, voice perfectly calm, but Ash could hear how firm he sounded, flinging himself from the bench and down the hall, skidding to a stop on the rug in the center of their room. Eiji was still lying there, eyes shut, not a scratch on him, but as Ash made to retrieve the sword that lay on his bed, he felt his heart thump so hard in his chest he was momentarily breathless as, in the candlelight, he saw a face—a horrible, sneering, green face—peeking in through the window, leering at Eiji's slumbering form. _What the fuck is_ that?!

               "Ash!" called Rolan again, his voice much fainter now, and without moving his gaze Ash crept towards the bed, reaching out with an arm to wrap his fingers around the hilt of the sword, heart pumping. The creature in the window most definitely wasn't human, but it didn't look altogether like a monster, either, its shape humanoid enough, if not more like a child than an adult in stature. _Get away from here!_ Ash took a warning swing towards the window, purposely stopping just before the blade hit the wall, and the face slid down out of view, a chattering laugh just barely audible from the other side.

               _Shit, what do I do? I don't want to leave Eiji here alone, but..._ There were more crashing sounds from outside, and, cursing under his breath, Ash took one last look at Eiji before hurtling back out into the hall, through the kitchen, to where the back door that led out into the garden was. He could see Rolan's silhouette outlined in the firelight, a massive axe in his hands that gleamed silver, and as Ash came up closer, holding the sword aloft, he realized in horror that an entire horde of the green-skinned creatures were there in the garden, some holding little spears and swords, some with flaming torches.

               "What the—" "Goblins," replied Rolan, standing his ground; the creatures slowly edged closer, beady black eyes glowing in the light. "Not too unusual around these parts, but first time I've seen so many at once." _How can you be so calm about this?!_ By Ash's count there were at least thirty of them, their bodies indeed like those of children, hunched over, long knobby fingers grasping their weapons close. They had long, snaggly teeth, their ears pointed, their noses bent upwards; all wore crude clothes made of burlap and cloth, some even sporting hats. They didn't seem to be able to speak, but they did indeed make sounds, voices high and shrill and making chills run down Ash's spine.

               "A Warrior should be able to make quick work of these," remarked Rolan, adopting a more defensive stance, lower to the ground. "We Axemen are much better suited for big beasts—goblins are slippery tricksters, and they're fast." "You want _me_ to take care of all _those?_ " asked Ash in disbelief, grip on his sword tightening. _Are you kidding, old man?_ "I'll make sure none of 'em get in here and get to your friend. That's a promise." Rolan brandished the axe, silver glare shooting across the ground. "Now, GO!"

               With a roar Ash launched himself forward before he even really knew what he was doing, heading straight for the first goblin his eyes landed on; he swung the sword with both hands right at its neck, feeling the blade connect, but there was no time to stop and look, the entire horde swarming at him with cries that pierced the air, waving their weapons above their heads. Their swords bounced uselessly off of his, little hands grabbing at his clothes, but he batted them away, kicking them off of him, swinging furiously into the throng over and over again. He could barely see what was happening in the dark, the tiny torches and the reflection from the light inside the inn all he had, and once the first few goblins were down he felt their weapons and their fingers under his feet, shoes splintering wood and bone.

               Ash stumbled backwards as a sword-wielding goblin sprang from the back of one of its companions straight towards his face, ugly grin in front of his eyes, and frantically he swung only to have it wrap itself around his blade, clinging desperately as he heard it laugh, the others stabbing at his legs, prickles of pain shooting through him. _Dammit, get out of here!_ Long claws ripped at the denim jacket he was still wearing from earlier, spatters of blood flecked across it now from how hard he was tearing into the green skin. No matter how many he cut down, he felt like there were always more that appeared from nowhere to take the place of their fallen comrades, coming at him with those beady black eyes, chattering laughter just making him angrier and angrier until he felt himself pull his sword back all the way behind him with both hands, his own voice ripping from his throat in a howling scream of rage. " _Get the fuck out of my WAY!_ "

               A brilliant blue light exploded in front of Ash's vision as he swung the sword around with all the force he could muster, illuminating the entire garden in radiant azure; the cry that arose from the charging goblins was almost deafening, but their voices faded out one by one as they fell at his feet, weapons dropping limply into the dirt. There were only one lone goblin left standing, cowering with its spear, but Ash was riding the momentum of whatever had just happened, drawing the sword back to plunge it straight through the monster's chest, pulling it back out a second later. The night was silent once more, and as he looked around, Ash realized that it was over, the goblins felled.

               _I..._ Ash stared down at his sword, blood dripping down the polished blade into the dark, out of sight. _I did it._ It didn't seem real, the bodies of the goblins little more than shadowy shapes, and he turned back towards the inn to find Rolan standing there, bringing his hands together in silent applause. "Well done." "Yeah, but..." A few goblins had tried to sneak past, but Rolan had dispatched them easily, Ash not particularly wanting to look too closely at the damage the axe had made as he came back to the door. "What even _was_ that? What did I do?"

               "Last Light." Rolan reached up to hang his axe on the wall beside the back door, Ash not even having seen it earlier. "Every Affinity has something like what you just did—it looks a whole lot like magic, but it's more like a helping hand when you're in a rough spot. It's powerful, but takes a lot out of you if you're not used to it—see."

               Ash had sank down to one knee, clinging to the hilt of his sword as he stuck the blade into the ground for support, suddenly as winded as if he had fought a thousand goblins instead of just the thirty or so he remembered seeing. His senses were foggy, vision a little blurry; Rolan pulled him back to his feet effortlessly. "You ought to sleep. Your strength will come back in the morning, and when the sun's up you won't have to worry about monsters—at least not here." _Don't worry about me._ Ash's mind was already somewhere else, shakily taking a few steps back towards the kitchen. _Eiji...are you still okay? What if something happened while we were gone?_

               With Rolan's help, Ash made it safely back to the room to find Eiji still lying peacefully asleep, the flickering candlelight still bright at his bedside. His face looked much less pallid now, a healthy rosy glow to his cheeks, but Ash couldn't help being concerned, even as he lay the sword down on the floor, grudgingly giving up his bloodstained clothes in exchange for linen nightclothes. He was exhausted now, pillow and blankets so inviting he could hardly resist, and he let his body rest, at last letting go of the tension. His eyes were already closing, but he fought to stay looking at Eiji, listening to the sound of his breath. _Don't go...where I can't see._ The room was fading out. _Eiji...don't go away._

 

~*~

 

               He was sitting near the water. The wind was cold, but the sun was bright and warm, and he felt it on his face, gentle contentment settling over him. He thought he hadn't been this relaxed in a very, very long time, but he couldn't be sure, memories slipping away when he tried to grab them. It was too cold for swimming, but maybe he would play instead, or watch the boats sail past. But it really was bright. And warm. Too warm...

               As Ash surfaced from sleep, slowly letting his eyes open, the sound of birdsong reaching his ears, he realized that he was lying in his bed in the inn, the walls a bright white in the sun. The window behind him was open, white lace curtains waving in the breeze, and sitting beside him was Eiji, his palms glowing with golden light that curled through the air like blooming flowers; his own body was aglow, and before his eyes, the wounds he knew must have been from the battle with the goblins were disappearing, shrinking away into nothingness as though they had never been there at all.

               _He's...healing me._ "Eiji...?" His voice came out as a raspy whisper, and Eiji's eyes lit up as he realized Ash was awake, smile as bright as the sun. "Ash!" "You...are you okay? Shouldn't you be resting?" He made to sit up, but Eiji shook his head, pushing him back down. "Please rest, Ash. I'm fine. But your body is tired, and hurt...Rolan told me about the monsters." He shook his head, expression half concerned, half apologetic. "I don't know, but...maybe it's my fault. Rolan talked to me about the Affinities, so I know I'm a Mage." He put a hand over his heart, staring down at the blankets. "I have very strong magic inside me. I think the monsters can feel the magic, and want it. So they will go where I am..."

               "It's okay." Ash raised a fist in encouragement. "If monsters come after you, I'll just fight all of them away." "No! You'll be hurt again," protested Eiji, looking shocked at the mere mention of it, but Ash couldn't hold back the smile, raising his eyebrows. "What, you think I'm _that_ bad at fighting? I'll get better eventually. I took out all those goblins by myself! And Rolan helped a little, I guess." "So I'll protect you!" There was a stubborn gleam in Eiji's eye. "I'll use magic and kill the monsters." "And _I'm_ saying I'll protect _you_ , so you don't have to worry about that," said Ash, folding his arms over his chest. "It'd be bad if you passed out again, right? And we're traveling together, so it's fine." " _Ash_." Eiji almost looked as if he wanted to make an angry face, but didn't know how, his expression so helplessly frustrated that Ash had to smile wider.

               "Look. Eiji." Ash sat up, feeling so refreshed he thought he might be able to walk all the way to the capital, and he looked Eiji straight in the eyes, gaze unwavering. "We can't tell anyone you're a Mage, so you probably shouldn't be using magic all over the place. And if monsters are going to be hunting us wherever we go, since I'm the only one of us who can go all out if we fight, I just need to get stronger." "But..." Eiji's face fell, but Ash shook his head, unwilling to give in. "Just—okay. Let's put it this way."

               In the moment he had thought of it, he had meant it as a joke—but as Ash reached out for Eiji's hand, he felt a deep, warm pull clench itself around his heart, a feeling so nostalgic and raw that he couldn't give words to it, unable to understand what it meant. "Think of me as your knight." Eiji's eyes were wide, soft shining brown in the light. "I'll stay by your side, and fight away everything that tries to hurt you. Okay? And if I get hurt doing it, you have permission to get as mad at me as you want." _I'll stay by your side._ It felt right, somehow, to say those words. _Have I...ever said that before?_

               "Okay." Ash looked up in surprise as Eiji reached out with his other hand, placing it just under Ash's, so that he was holding Ash's hand between both of his. "But if you're in trouble, I'll save you, Ash." Eiji's expression was soft, and comforting, and the warm feeling in Ash's chest only grew. "We have to help each other. People can't live alone." _They can't, huh?_ "All right." Ash nodded, hoping Eiji wouldn't notice how touched he felt, embarrassed. _Maybe you're right._ "So, from now on...just count on me."

               They ate a humble breakfast together in the kitchen, fresh-baked rolls with butter from the neighboring farm and chilled milk; Ash's clothes had been cleaned and he was glad to have his sweater back, sleeves a little stiff from having dried out on the line. It was a beautiful day, the sky clear blue, the sound of voices and the clanking of bells coming in through the open window. Eiji ran to look, excitedly reporting his findings, and Ash learned that the bells were tied around the necks of a flock of sheep, listening to them pass by outside. In a sense, he was almost sad to be leaving, already knowing that whatever lay ahead of them, it was unlikely that it would feel as calm and slow as this, the towns waiting for them much less quiet.

               As a thank-you for exterminating the goblins, Rolan had offered to accompany Ash and Eiji out into Dendion to get them ready for the journey, and after breakfast they ventured out onto the streets, though there weren't many of them; the town was home only to Rolan's inn, the surrounding farms, a little armory, a general store, and the houses they had seen entering the day before. With Rolan's help, they were able to procure bags full of emergency food and supplies, a map, a compass, and a sheath for Ash's sword, which he belted on gratefully, glad to not have to carry the sword by hand anymore.

               It was early afternoon by the time they had gathered all of their gear and were ready to set out, standing a bit awkwardly at the opposite side of town under the arch and staring out at the valley that lay spread out beyond, already able to see flowers growing along the path. "Well...guess we're off." Ash turned to Eiji, who nodded, a smile on his face, and then to Rolan, who stood a ways off to the side, watching them almost fondly, like a father seeing his children off. "Thank you for everything. You really helped us out."

               "You boys stay safe out there." Rolan took a step forward, shaking Eiji's hand, and he clapped Ash on the shoulder, nodding, as if to say— _you can do this_. "It's a wide world, and we wouldn't want to see you lost." "Think we'll be okay," reassured Ash, though he wondered if he would always think so. "Okay, Eiji, you ready?" "Let's go," said Eiji, giving a thumbs-up, and with a few steps, they were out into the wilderness once more, without a second look back.

               Now that they had a map, it was much easier to understand where they were, and Ash pulled it out of his bag as they walked, the path underfoot transforming from stone to thick green grass, the valley walls growing closer together and blocking out some of the sky. As Rolan had said, the country they were in now, Ralantisia—the country that also included the royal capital—was not such a large one in comparison to the others that Ash could see, squinting down at where he had hastily scribbled translations to the names Rolan had read off to him. Strolheim, the next town, looked to be about a day's journey on foot if they were to continue heading north.

               _Guess we have a walk ahead, but I didn't really expect otherwise._ Ash put the map away, turning to Eiji to find him admiring the flowers that grew along the side of the path, bright orange, with ruffled blossoms in the shape of a bell; it was unexpectedly heartwarming, and without meaning to Ash found himself just watching Eiji amuse himself as they walked on. There was something relaxing about the way he carried himself, able to find happiness in even the smallest of things, and the lingering anxiety that had been bothering Ash that entire morning gradually melted away, replaced instead with a soft contented feeling.

               "So, Eiji, what do you want to do once we get there?" asked Ash, suddenly remembering he had been meaning to ask, and Eiji looked over at him, frowning. "Hmm." "There's a lot of choices—we need jobs to get money, and we need money to eat or do pretty much anything, so we might have to work for a while." "Yeah..." Eiji nodded, lost in thought. "That's fine." "But everything else...like finding out who we are, or what happened before we got here...we should we able to find more information in Strolheim," said Ash, gently pressing the subject. "We're going to have to think about what to say, and what we should do from now on."

               "I think...I want to know more about this world." Eiji looked up into the sky, eyes on the clouds. "I want to know about magic, and monsters...and different cities, and countries." "Yeah...that might be a good place to start," agreed Ash, nodding. "Too bad we can't read anything, though. Hope someone will help us out." "Oh...I forgot." "How could you forget?!"  
               _I'll be your knight._ That was something he _hadn't_ forgotten, and he knew Eiji hadn't either, even as they chatted and laughed together, thinking back to it when his mind was quiet and there was nothing else left to think about. He couldn't even really say it was embarrassing—he had meant it honestly, and Eiji hadn't run away, just as honest. _Does that make you a princess, then?_ He bit back a smirk, hoping Eiji wasn't looking too closely. _Or a prince? A prince and a knight, on a journey in a land full of magic and monsters..._

               _Honestly, this might be kind of fun._


End file.
